There is a new King in town!

Tags

Dutch Inauguration, House of Orange-Nassau, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands., Maxima Zorreguieta, Prince of Orange, Princess of Orange, Princess Princess Catharina-Amalia, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima, Willem III of the Netherlands

As I write this today, Saturday, 27 April 2013, HRH The Prince of Orange turns 46 years old. As you are reading this HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has abdicated the throne and Willem-Alexander has now become the King of the Netherlands. He is the Netherlands first King since the death of Willem III on 23 November 1890. That is a span of 123 years. The heir to the throne is now the king’s eldest daughter HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia (born 7 December 2003). I believe the title Prince or Princess of Orange is automatic so she will inherit that title as her father becomes king. I believe she will be, at the age of 9, Europe’s youngest heir to the throne.

The new king is the son of HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (now HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands) and Claus van Amsberg (1926-2002). Willem-Alexander has gone through some big changes in his life. The media once depicted him as a playboy type of prince who loved wine women and song. Today as he mounts the throne of the Netherlands he has become a well-respected family man. This change can be linked to his 2002 marriage to Maxima Zorreguieta from Argentina. She has become a well-loved and respected Princess of Orange and has been a stabilizing presence. The prince and Princess of Orange also have three wonderful daughters that have helped the prince settle down into a responsible family man. With my back ground in psychology all of this seems like usual developmental stages. Most men do mature and settle down in their 30s.

One of the differenced in this new kingship will be the Kings involvement in politics. Beatrix has involved herself in politics. At times she excluded politicians that she did not like. It seems Willem-Alexander will not be as involved with government. His reign is reported to have a more low-key profile and to not be as protocol minded as other Dutch monarchs in the past. It will be interesting to follow him in the future to see how is style of rule actually plays out. The king will still be influential in government but it seems those influences will come through personal relationships with politicians.

I have always thought that the Dutch monarch had more political involvement and influence than other European constitutional monarchies. I have mixed feelings about a lesser involvement with politics. A part of me thinks it is absolutely wise to stay above party politics. I am an American and our political system is ripe with cutthroat political fighting among parties. I really do think a monarch should stay out of that messy business. However, I also love history and I do enjoy reading about those times when monarchs actually held power.

I am sad to see Queen Beatrix go. I think she was a wonderful queen and a model of a good constitutional monarch. I wish her well in the future. I also wish her successor, HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, a long and fruitful reign with good health and good times and prosperity for the Netherlands.

Here is a list of other royals that attended today’s innaguration:

Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain
Crown Prince Billah and Princess Sarah of Brunei
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan
Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan
Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
Prince Albert II of Monaco
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princees Mette-Marit of Norway
Haitham bin Tareq al Said (Oman)
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Misned (Qatar)
The Prince and Princess of Asturias (Spain)
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (Thailand)
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (Thailand)
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (United Kingdom)
Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed al Nahyan (United Arab Emirates)
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden

Advertisements

Legal Succession: Elizabeth I of England & James VI of Scotland: Part 2

Tags

Catherine Gray, Elizabeth I of England, Henry VIII, Isabella of Spain, James I of England, Lord Beauchamp, Philipe II of Spain

As I mentioned previously James VI, King of Scots was the heir of Elizabeth I of England via the principle of primogeniture. Even though he did eventually become King James I of England it wasn’t as cut and dried as it seems. Henry VIII had barred the Scottish line in his will and an Act of Succession. There was also a law on the books barring foreigners from inheriting property. Some ministers thought to get around that last rule by claiming that Scotland was a part of England as many Scottish kings had paid homage to English kings which demonstrated that Scotland was a fiefdom of England.

If James VI of Scotland was barred from the succession who else were the possible heirs to Elizabeth’s throne? One was Lady Catherine Gray the younger sister of the ill-fatted 9 day Queen, Jane Gray. She was the senior heir of Henry VIII’s sister Mary. Catherine Gray married Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, a descendant of King Edward III of England. They married and had their first son, Edward, Lord Beauchamp, and this infuriated Queen Elizabeth who often feared that those who saw her rule as illegitimate would replace her on the throne with one of these hires.

For that reason Elizabeth had Catherine and the Earl of Hertford thrown in the Tower of London. Evidently they were not watched too much because they were able to have another child, Thomas, while imprisoned in the tower. Since the only witness that this marriage had actually occurred had died, Elizabeth considered the marriage illegal and had the couple separated and Lord Beauchamp was considered illegitimate. However, after Catherine’s death in 1568 many considered Lord Beauchamp to be Elizabeth’s heir.

Another candidate was Infanta Isabella of Spain, daughter of King Felipe II of Spain and Princess Elizabeth de Valois of France. Infanta Isabella had a stronger claim to the throne than Elizabeth I. As we have seen the Tudor dynasty descends from a third marriage of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of King Edward III of England. At first the children of that union were born illegitimate but later legitimized with no succession rights. Isabella, on the other hand, descended from the first two legal marriages of John of Gaunt.

John of Gaunt’s first marriage was to Blanch of Lancaster (a descendent of King Edward I of England) and their daughter, Philippa, married King John I of Portugal. From them descended Isabella of Portugal wife of Holy Roman Emperor Karl V (Carlos I of Spain) the grandparents of Infanta Isabella of Spain. John of Gaunt’s second marriage to Infanta Constance of Castile produced a daughter, Catherine, who married her cousin, King Enrique III of Castile. Catherine of Lancaster’s great-granddaughter Catherine of Aragon, first of the six wives of Henry VIII of England, was named after her. From this line descends the Kings of Spain culminating in the English heir, Isabella of Spain.

By the end of 1602 when it became apparent that Elizabeth I was dying the need for her to name her successor was crucial. The problem was that not many wanted to point out to the queen that she was dying, it had also become treason to discuss the succession issue!

Stay tuned for Part III!

Crown Bill expected to pass both Houses of Parliament

Tags

1.The Prince of Wales (eldest son of The Queen), 2012. Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Crown Bill, Duke of Cambridge, Elizabeth II, England, Houses of Parliament, Kings and Queens of England, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Princess of Wales

Crown Bill expected to pass both Houses of Parliament. Right now the Bill is in the House of Commons and should be passed onto Her Majesty for Royal Assent which will make the United Kingdom a monarchy with absolute primogeniture. I still have not heard any mention of what will happen to the titles of Prince of Wales. Will a female heir apparent be titled Princess of Wales? I think one of the reasons it has not been mentioned is that Her Majesty, as the Font of All Honors, is in control of how this title is bestowed. The title Prince of Wales is not a hereditary title and it is created for the heir to the throne at the sovereigns discretion. Therefore it is entirely possible that should the Duke of Cambridge have a daughter first, she may, as heir to the throne someday be granted the title Princess of Wales in her own right.

Once the Crown Bill passes both houses and is signed by the queen those that had lost their place in succession due to being married to a Catholic or converting to Catholicism will be restored to their place in the succession. Here is a list of the 50 people in line for the Crown once the Bill passes.

• The Prince of Wales (eldest son of The Queen)
• Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (eldest son of The Prince of Wales)
• Prince Henry of Wales (second son of The Prince of Wales)
• The Duke of York (second son of The Queen)
• Princess Beatrice of York (eldest daughter of The Duke of York)
• Princess Eugenie of York (second daughter of The Duke of York)
• The Earl of Wessex (third son of The Queen)
• Viscount Severn (son of The Earl of Wessex)
• Lady Louise Windsor (daughter of The Earl of Wessex)
• The Princess Royal (only daughter of The Queen)
• Peter Phillips (only son of The Princess Royal)
• Savannah Phillips (elder daughter of Peter Phillips)
• Isla Phillips (second daughter of Peter Phillips)
• Zara Phillips (only daughter of The Princess Royal)
• Viscount Linley (nephew of The Queen; only son of the late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon)
• The Hon Charles Armstrong-Jones (only son of Viscount Linley)
• The Hon Margarita Armstrong-Jones (only daughter of Viscount Linley)
• Lady Sarah Chatto (niece of The Queen; only daughter of the late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon)
• Samuel Chatto (elder son of Lady Sarah Chatto)
• Arthur Chatto (second son of Lady Sarah Chatto)
• The Duke of Gloucester (first cousin of The Queen)
• Earl of Ulster (only son of The Duke of Gloucester)
• Baron Culloden (only son of Earl of Ulster)
• Lady Cosima Windsor (only daughter of Earl of Ulster)
• Lady Davina Lewis (elder daughter of The Duke of Gloucester)
• Senna Lewis (only child of Lady Davina Lewis)
• Tāne Lewis (child of Lady Davina Lewis)
• Lady Rose Gilman (second daughter of The Duke of Gloucester)
• Lyla Gilman (daughter of Lady Rose Gilman)
• Rufus Gilman (son of Lady Rose Gilman)
• The Duke of Kent (first cousin of The Queen)
• George, Earl of St Andrews (son of the Duke of Kent)
• Lord Downpatrick (son of George, Earl of St Andrews)
• Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor (daughter of George, Earl of St Andrews)
• Lady Amelia Windsor (younger granddaughter of The Duke of Kent)
• Lord Nicholas Windsor (son of the Duke of Kent)
• Albert Windsor (son of Lord Nicholas Windsor)
• Leopold Windsor (son of Lord Nicholas Windsor)
• Lady Helen Taylor (daughter of the Duke of Kent)
• Columbus Taylor (son of Lady Helen Taylor)
• Cassius Taylor (son of Lady Helen Taylor)
• Eloise Taylor (daughter of Lady Helen Taylor)
• Estella Taylor (daughter of Lady Helen Taylor)
• HRH Prince Michael of Kent (cousin of HM The Queen)
• Lord Frederick Windsor (son of Prince Michael of Kent)
• Lady Gabriella Windsor (daughter of Prince Michael of Kent)
• HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (cousin of HM The Queen)
• James Ogilvy (son of Princess Alexandra)
• Alexander Ogilvy (son of James Ogilvy)
• Flora Ogilvy (daughter of Alexander Ogilvy)

Luxembourg Royal Wedding Announced!

Tags

Claire Lademacher, HRH Prince Felix of Luxembourg, Luxembourg royal court, royal wedding, Sainte Marie-Madeleine de Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume basilica

The Marshal of the Luxembourg royal court has announced that the wedding of HRH Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Miss Claire Lademacher will be celebrated on Saturday 21 September 2013 at the Sainte Marie-Madeleine de Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume basilica in France. 

The civil wedding will take place on 17 September at Königstein im Taunus in Germany.

Name the new Royal Baby!!!

Tags

Buckingham Palace, HRH The Prince of Wales, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Name the new Royal Baby, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, Scotland, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge

Here is your chance to name the new Royal Baby, the son or daughter of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The new roayl baby will be 3rd in line to the throne of The United Kingdom.

I am having trouble with a formal poll so I will just list the names I think are plausible and in the comments below tell me what name you think will be given to the child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Boys names.

1. William

2. George

3. Charles.

4. Henry

5. Philip

6. Richard

7. Edward

Girls names.

1. Elizabeth

2. Catherine

3. Diana

4. Elizabeth

5. Charlotte

6. Victoria

7. Mary

8. Anne

My personal guess is I would like to see the name George for a boy and Victoria for a girl.

Dynasty

I thought I would try something new. I want to look at some of the royal families of Europe and do  a more extensive study on them. How did they come to the throne? What were the successes and what were the failures? Who were the more controversial members? Things along those lines. The difference is that I want to offer my readers the opportunity to select the dynasty I will study and write about.

It doesn’t have to be English, Scottish & British it can be any European royal family. It doesn’t have to either be “royal” it can be noble. So leave a comment for your choice and I will pick one next week. If no one gives me any option then I will select one? After the choice is made I will let you know which one I selected and within a couple of weeks I will start this new series.

Also, if you want to know something specific about these families, let me know and I will research that too.

The Queen & Baroness Thatcher

Tags

Baroness Thatcher, Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth II, King Baudouin of Belgium, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of Scotland, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Winston Churchill

This was the message the Queen sent when Margaret Thatcher passed away…

The Queen was sad to hear the news of the death of Baroness Thatcher. Her Majesty will be sending a private message of sympathy to the family.”

This was an interesting statement. Instead of issuing public condolences the queen was moved enough to send private condolences to the family. Also, it is well-known that the queen doesn’t attend funerals unless they are members of her close family. She has only attended the funeral of one other of her Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill, in 1965. She has gone to only one royal funeral that I can think of, and that was the funeral of King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.  Today’s attendance by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher was a rare and special occasion.

The relationship between the sovereign and his or her Prime Minister is a special and private relationship. In that relationship the monarch is free to participate in their constitutional duty to advise, warn and counsel their Prime Minister. Given that the relationship is private there has been much speculation about the relationship between Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom’s first female Prime Minister. As a Conservative Thatcher was a staunch royalist, but because they had such different personalities there were rumors that the two of them often clashed. Those remain rumors and never have been confirmed or denied. It does seem that the queen did have a deep respect for Mrs. Thatcher. Very shortly after Mrs. Thatcher left office in 1990 the queen bestowed upon her the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit.  Her majesty does not often grant awards swiftly in her capacity as the font of all honors. Her awarding these symbols of chivalry does signal that her majesty did indeed have a deep respect for Baroness Thatcher.

One last minor rant from me before I end this topic. There are some people who just do not understand the British political system. When Thatcher was in power, and even after her death, she was often called the first female ruler of either England or the United Kingdom. That is not accurate. She was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom but prior to that England, Scotland and the United Kingdom were ruled by a Queen (a woman) long before the office of Prime Minister had been created.

Legal Succession: Elizabeth I of England & James VI of Scotland: Part I

Tags

Elizabeth I of England, Henry VIII, James VI of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots, Philip II of Spain, Queen Elizabeth I of England, William III and Mary II

Where we left of last was with the accession of Mary I on the English throne. Her husband, King Felipe II of Spain, also held the title King of England. Under the Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary to Felipe of Spain, Felipe was to enjoy his wife’s titles and honours as King of England and Ireland for as long as their marriage should last. In reality Felipe was a King Consort and held his title by right of his wife. Although all Acts of Parliament were called under the joint authority of the couple, sovereignty was vested in Mary. England and Scotland would have true joint rulers where sovereignty was vested in both, with the reign of William III and Mary II. We will discuss them at a later date.

Queen Mary I’s reign was short, lasting only 5 years. Mary & Felipe did not have any children and upon Mary’s death, Felipe ceased to be “King of England.” Mary’s half-sister, Elizabeth, the last surviving child of Henry VIII, with the ill-fatted Anne Bolyne, became the last monarch of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth reigned for 44 years and saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. One of the great struggles for Elizabeth during her reign was to beget an heir. There were many suitors for her hand, among them her former brother-in-law, Felipe II of Spain, and also his cousin, Archduke Karl of Austria and the French Princes, Henri and Francois both Duke of Anjou. Elizabeth kept many in suspense concerning her marriage, even well past her child-bearing years. However, Elizabeth let it be known that she did not want a man ruling over her.

During her reign the genealogical heir was her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, a great-granddaughter of Henry VII. * Many Catholics saw Mary as the rightful Queen of England and viewed Elizabeth as a usurper. This attitude would eventually lead to the down fall and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587. Mary, Queen of Scots was also a Queen Consort of France as she was briefly married to the sickly Francois II of France. Mary’s second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was also her cousin and he himself also had rights to the English throne as a great-grandson of Henry VII. They had one son, who became James VI, King of Scots after her mother was deposed in 1576. He was just thirteen months old.

Although looking back it is easy to see how clear the claim that James VI, King of Scots had to the English throne after the death of Elizabeth. It was not however, as clear of a choice as it seems. First off Henry VIII’s will excluded the descendants of his elder sister, Margaret Tudor, owing in part to Henry’s desire to keep the English throne out of the hands of the Scots monarchs, and in part to a previous Act of Parliament of 1431 that barred foreign-born persons, including royalty, from inheriting property in England. Since James was technically foreign-born and a double descendent of Margaret Tudor, it seem James’ chances of inheriting the English throne were slim.

Stay tuned to Part II to see how this was overcome and who else was considered heir to the English throne.

* An interesting side note. Mary, Queen of Scots is often listed without an ordinal. Technically she was Mary I, Queen of Scots because her great-great granddaughter, Mary II, who was both queen of England and queen of Scots.

Interesting Times

Tags

Margaret Thatcher, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge, the prince of Wales, Willem-Alexander of the netherlands

April is turning out to be an interesting month and there are many things going on in the world of royalty. At the end of this month the Netherlands will have a new monarch as Queen Beatrix hands over the reigns to her son, Willem-Alexander. The Spanish monarchy is in deep trouble. The popularity of King Juan Carlos is at an all time low and while Spain suffers great economic hardships, his daughter, Infanta Cristina, is being called to testify about her husband’s dirty dealings. On a positive note everyone is watching HRH The Duchess of Cambridge as her “baby bump” grows. (God I hate that term!). Also, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, celebrates her 87 birthday this month!

I belong to several royalty groups on Facebook and there are many growing concerns for the Spanish monarchy. As I stated in an earlier blog entry the House of Bourbon has had a difficult time on the Spanish throne. So is it time for the king to abdicate to his son, Felipe, Prince of Asturias while there is still a throne to pass on? Often when I look at the downfall of monarchies I wonder where the point of no return is. Is the Spanish crown at that point? Are things as troublesome as they seem for the Spanish crow, or is it just media hype?

At the end of the month HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will abdicate after 33 year on the throne. I have mixed feelings about this. First of all I think she is a model of a great constitutional monarch. She has done an excellent job so I really hate to see her go. On the other hand as people are living much longer, and abdication is a tradition in the Netherlands, who am I to begrudge Her Majesty of a peaceful and relaxing retirement. It is also exciting to see the Netherlands have a King for the first time in 123 years. The last king, Willem III, died in 1890. I am a little disappointed that the new king will not call himself Willem IV. As a consolation I do like double names. I look forward with eagerness to the inauguration of the new king on April 30.

This past week TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as TRH the Earl and Countess of Countess of Strathearn, their Scottish titles) visited Glasgow. The Countess looked stunning. With the her husband reducing, or leaving all together, his military duties, it seems they will be embarking on more royal duties. I would like to see them and the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall take on more duties for the Queen. Her Majesty turns 87 on April 21, and although I would love to see her continue on with her duties I would love to see them slow down and relax a bit more. As we get closer to the due date of the Duchess of Cambridge I will be putting up a poll so we can all guess the name of the new royal baby.

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died and next week will be the funeral and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend. This is unusual for the queen for she rarely attends funerals. There was some flack about lowering the Union Jack for Baroness Thatcher. When the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace the Royal Standard is raised. When she is not in residence in the Palace the Royal Standard is lowered and the flag pole remained empty. The Royal Standard is never lowered to half-mast. Starting with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales the Union Jack has flown over Buckingham Palace upon the death of a notable person. The Union Jack was lowered to half-mast following September 11 and London bombings (7th July 2005). This is a new tradition and I think it is one that shows respect and empathy.

Yes, there are interesting times and many thing to watch for!

Legal Succession: Mary & Jane Part II

Tags

Duke of Northumberland, Henry VIII, James IV, John Dudley, King Edward VI, King of Scots, Roman Catholic Church, Third Succession Act

In the summer of 1553 the 15-year-old King Edward VI was dying. His Catholic half-sister Mary was still the heiress presumptive to the throne. However, Edward VI, under the pressure from the Duke of Northumberland, bypassed his cousin, Frances Brandon, and named her eldest daughter, the Protestant Lady Jane Grey, as his successor. All of this information was placed in his will, which he passed via letters patent on June 21. These changes to the succession were co-signed by 102 notables, among them the entire Privy Council, peers, bishops, judges, and London aldermen. Edward desired that these changes be passed in Parliament in September. However, prior to the final legal steps, Edward VI died on July 10, 1553.

The privy Council proclaimed Lady Jane Grey as the first Queen Regnant of England. Jane, who just happened to be married to Lord Gilford Dudley, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland, was transferred to the Tower of London to await her coronation, per tradition.

One of the grave mistakes Northumberland made at this point was that he forgot to take hold of Mary herself prior to the death of the King. With Mary still free, she was able to easily claim her throne from Jane. The defacto reign of Queen Jane lasted 9 days.

Edward’s failure to have his letters passed by an Act of Parliament still mean that not only was the Third Act of Succession still the law of the land, so was the 1547 Act of Treason. The Treason Act made it high treason to change the line of succession to the throne that had been established by Third Act of Succession. Of course as king, Edward VI could have had both the Third Act of Succession and the Treason Act replaced with new laws, but since he died prior to accomplishing that requirement that his sister Mary was the legal Queen per the terms of the Third Succession Act.

Queen Mary entered London in a triumphal procession on August 3rd, and the Duke of Northumberland was executed on August 22, 1553. In September, Parliament declared that Mary was the rightful queen and denounced and revoked Jane’s proclamation and labeled her a usurper. Jane and Lord Guildford Dudley were both charged with high treason, together with two of Dudley’s brothers and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. Their trial, by a special commission, took place on November 13, 1553.

All defendants charged were found guilty and sentenced to death. Jane was to “be burned alive on Tower Hill or beheaded as the Queen pleases.” However, Mary planned on pardoning her cousin and this was reported to the imperial ambassador to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. Mary was planning on marrying her cousin, Prince Felipe of Austria, future King of Spain, son of Charles V.

Sadly, Jane’s fate took a turn for the worst with the Protestant rebellion of Thomas Wyatt the younger in January of 1554. Jane had nothing to do with this rebellion which was triggered by the prospective marriage of Mary and Felipe. What sealed her fate was the fact that Jane’s father, the Duke of Suffolk, and his two brothers joined the rebellion, which caused the government to go through with the verdict against Jane and Guildford. Their execution was first scheduled for February 9, 1554 , but was then postponed for three days so that Jane should get a chance to be converted to the Catholic faith. This attempt at conversion failed and both Lady Jane and her husband, Lord Guilford, were beheaded on the morning of February 12, 1554.

The tale of Lady Jane is tragic. She was only 17 and many historians believe she was and unwilling pawn of those around her. Steadfast in her Protestant faith she became a martyr for the Protestant cause.